Target towing and releasing device



March 25, 1930. w. A. LAMKEY 1,752,010

TARGET TOWING AND RELEASING DEVICE Filed May 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1IN VEN TOR.

' BY yjwya A TTORNEYS.

March 25, 1930. w. A LAMKEY 1,752,010

TARGET TOWING AND RELEASING DEVICE Filed May 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iI I I l I T I I I i i .I I I I I I Q I l l L I I I I I I I I I I b I Iis N H I I,/\\ I 8:; 82 Q I INVENTOR.

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Patented Mar. 25, 1930 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM ANTHONY LAMKEY, OFDEARBORN, MICHIGAN TARGET TOWING AND RELEASING DEVICE Application filedMay 22, 1928, Serial No. 279,823, and in France August 12, 1927.

My invention relates to a device for unfurling and releasing target andmore particularly to one that is being towed by an aircraft.

It has been proposed in the towing of targets by aircraft, to provide atowingcable attached to theaircraft; a supporting or carrying means forthe target, which is so constructed that it can be easily threaded onthe cable and providing the towing end of the cable with a releasablecatch device which engages and holds the target support or carrier topermit the target to be towed over the ground area desired and which isadapted to release the target carrier when desired to permit thetargetto fall to the ground. The release of the target support orcarrier is eifected by the action of a second support or carrier whichhas been threaded on the cable at the aircraft and which after travelingover the cable when it comes to a point adjacent the catch deviceoperates the mechanism of the catch to release the towed target, andwhich catch device, by its structure stops and holds said second carrierand in the same manner as above described the target carried by saidsecond carrier is towed over a designated ground area. Such a device isshown in my co-pending application Serial No. 17 7 ,106, filed March 21,1927.

The objects of this invention are an improvement in my said priorapplication.

An object of this invention is to provide improved means for threadingand securing the target carrier on the cable.

A further object is to provide a new catch and releasing device which issimpler in construction and more certain in its operation and which willbe positive in its action to .40 catch and hold the releasing-carrierafter the catch has been operated to release the used target.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification,

A5 and in which carrier orv support.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing the position of the two supportsor carriers prior to the releasing of the towed target, the re leasingcarrier being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the releasing catch on the line H of Fig.3.

Referring to the figures of the drawing, A denotes the target carrier orsupport consisting of the tubular block having the center bore 1 and theend bores 2 arranged in concentric alinement, the end bores 52 having alarger diameter than the center bore 1, all of of said bores beingarranged symmetrically of the block and to each other. The wall of thetarget carrier A is provided with a transverse opening, wide enough topermit threading of the carrier on a cable secured to the aircraft. Thewalls of this opening are provided with oppositely disposed semicircular recesses 8 whose purpose will be hereinafter more particularlyset forth.

Midway between the ends of the target carrier there is provided asemi-circular recess entirely encircling the carrier and at oppositesides of the carrier and within said recess are provided the pins 10 and11, one of which has the eye 10 and the other the head 11. As a meansfor closing the opening so that the carrier will not accidentally becomeunthreaded from the cable there is provided a filler member 4 consistingof the rod 5 to which is secured the handle 6 provided with the eye 7.The filler member 1 is adapted to be placed in the opening 3 with therod 5 extending into the oppositely disposed recess 5 8 in the walls ofthe opening. As the bores 2 of the carrier are symmetrical with respectto the bore 1 the carrier can be placed on the cable with either endtowards the towed target.

As a means for supporting a target D by means of the harness E thestructure and operation of which is more particularly shown anddescribed in my copending application, there is provided a bail 12having 9 eyes 12 in its ends. One of said eyes is secured to the eye 10'of the pin 10 and the other of which is adapted to engage the other pin11 by passing over the head 11. A coil spring 13 secured at one end tothe eye 10 and at its other end to the eye on the free end of the bail12 is passed through the eye 7 in the handle 6 of the filler member 5.

This spring when the filler is in place in the opening in the targetcarrier and the free end of the bail is secured to the pin 11 rests inthe slot 9 anduas it is under tension prevents the filler member frombecoming accidentally disengaged from the opening.

So far applicant has described his target carrier and the manner inwhich itoperates to carry a target and the structure thereof whereby itcan be threaded and secured to a cable carrier by an aircraft. Thefurther construction of the target carrier and its operation with thecatching and releasing de vice mounted on the free end of the cable willnow be had. 1 v

The catch and releasing member C consists of the hollow cylindricalmember 14 I having the pointed end 15 provided with the bore 16 throughwhich the cable B passes and to which the cable is secured by a knot 17formed in the end thereof or by other suitable and equivalent means. p

The member 14 is provided at its opposite end with a filler 18 securedrivetsla. At the inner end of the filler 19 the cylinder 14 is providedwith openings 20. Through one of said openings 20 projects the slidingdetent 21 which can be retracted to lie entirely within the cylinder 14.The inner surface of the filler 19 acts as a bearing for the detent 21.The opposite wall of the detent 21 is provided with'a recess 21 whichprovides a socket into which extends an end 23 of the lever 22whichlever is adapted in the opera tion of the device to retract andproject the said detent. The lever is pivoted intermediate its ends bymeans of the pin 24 which is secured by riveting or other equivalentmeans to the section plate members 25 secured to the inner walls of thecylinder 14 by spot welding or any other equivalent means, the ends orheads 24 of the pin 25 fitting in openings 26 formed in thewall of thecylinder 14 and having their outer ends flush with the outer surfaceofthe cylinder 14. Openings 27 and 28 are provided on opposite sidesofthe fulcrum pin of the lever through which project cam surfaces 30 and31 formed one on each of the-arms of the lever 22. A spring29 secured toone arm of the lever 22 engagesithe wall of the cylinder 14 normally,tending to hold the lever in one position with the .pin 21 projectedvand the cam 31 extending through the-opening 28. This spring can. be

dispensed with, or if'for any reason it does not operate as intended,the cam 30 provides a means to positively mcvethe detent to projectedposition as will be more particularly described in thefollowingparagraph.

he operation of the device is as follows:

1V hen a target is being towed and it is de sired to release suchtargetand substitute tracts the locking pin 21 permitting the towedtarget to be released. Further movement of the carrier along the memberC permits the lever to move under the influence of the spring 29 toproject the locking pin'21 which catches against the wall formed betweenthe bores 1 and 2 and holds the carrier on the member C until arepetition of the described operation releases it As ameans of ensuringthat the pin 21 will be in a position to stop the carrier in case thespring fails to function or no spring is provided the cam surface 30which would then project through i the opening 27 is engaged by the wallof the bore 1 andthe locking pin 21 is positively moved to its projectedposition.

' Also if for any reason the towed target carrier does not release whenthe locking pin 21 is moved, the second carrier will strike it and willhelp to force it off and the cam 30 will ensure movement of the lockingpin to prevent'the second carrier from following the released carrieroff.

Having described my invention, what I claim is: V

1. .Incombination, a cablerhaving one end attached to a moving body, atarget support, said target support being'provided with a bore throughwhich the cable is adapted to pass, a catch device mountedon the freeend of said cable, and means carried by said catch 2. In combination, acable having one end attached toamoving body, a target support,

said target support being provided with a bore through'which the cableisadapted to pass, a catch device mounted on the free end of saidcableandby. means of which the target support is adapted topbe held tosaid cable,- and means mounted on said catch device adapted to beengaged by another target support torelease the target" support so held.

3. In combination, a'cable having oneend' attached to a moving body,atarget support ble, a catch device mounted on the free endsaid cable-endto permit the target to be towed, said catch device comprising, a hol- 8in which the means to retract the movable mounted on said cable to movealong said ca- Y "of said cable to hold said target support to V v Vdetent is provided with means adapted to be engaged by another targetsupport to release the towed target support.

5. In the combination as claimed in claim 3 in which the means toretract the movable detent is provided with means adapted to be engagedby another target support to release the towed target support, and withfurther means to be engaged by said other target support to project saiddetent after the first target support has been released.

6. A catch and releasing device for a towed target comprising a hollowtubular member, a movable detent adapted to project beyond the wall ofthe tubular member, means supported within said tubular member adaptedto retract and project said movable detent, comprising a lever pivotedwithin said tubular member, one end of said lever engaging in a recessin said movable detent, cam surfaces on said lever adapted to projectthrough openings in the wall of said tubular member, one of saidsurfaces adapted when engaged by external means to project the detentand the other of said cam surfaces adapted when engaged by externalmeans to retract said detent.

7 A target support for use with a towing cable, comprising a hollowcylindrical block having a transverse opening through the wall of saidblock, the walls of said opening being provided with circular grooves, afiller adapted to be placed in said transverse openings, said fillerhaving projecting portions adapted to seat in said grooves and means tohold said filler in place.

8. A target support for use with a towing cable comprising a hollowcylindrical block, having a transverse opening through the wall of saidblock, a filler member adapted to be placed in said transverse opening,and means to hold said filler in place, said holding means including acoil spring secured at its ends to the block and passing through an eyeformed in said filler.

9. A target support as claimed in claim 7 in which the means for holdingthe filler in place comprises a coil spring secured at its ends to theblock and passing through an eye formed in said filler.

10. A target support for use with a towing cable comprisnng a hollowcylindrical block having a transverse opening through the wall of saidblock, a circular groove formed on the outer wall and extending aroundsaid block substantially midway between its ends,

a coil spring secured at its ends to said block and adapted to lie insaid groove, and a filler member or said transverse opening secured tosaid coil spring.

11. A target support as claimed in claim 10 in which the walls of thetransverse opening are provided with circular grooves and projectingparts on said filler member adapted to engage in said circular grooves.

12. The combination with a target support including a hollow cylindricalblock having its hollow portion defined by circular walls of differentdiameters symmetrically arranged relative to each other, the internaldiazneter of the ends being greater than the diameter of the centralportion whereby connecting alls are formed between each two adjacentcircular walls of a cable having one end attached to a moving body, acatch and release de *ice mounted on the free end of said cablecomprising a hollow cylindrical member, means for securing said memberto said cable, a movable detent adapted to be projected through the wallof said member, and to be engaged by the wall between two adjacentcircular walls ofthe hollow support, means to project and retract themovable detent comprising cam surfaces adapted to be engaged by the wallof the lesser diameter of the hollow support.

13. The combination with a target support including a hollow cylindricalblock having its hollow portion defined by circular walls of differentdiameters symmetrically arranged relative to each other, the internaldiameter of the ends being greater than the diameter of the centralportion whereby connecting walls are formed between each two adjacentcircular walls of a cable having one end attached to a moving body, acatch and release device mounted on the free end of said cablecomprising a hollow cylindrical member, means for securing said memberto said cable, a movable detent adapted to be projected through the wallof said member, and to be engaged by the wall between two adjacentcircular walls of the hollow support, means to project and retract saidmovable detent comprising a lever within the hollow cylindrical memberpivoted thereto, cam surfaces on said lever projecting through openingsin said hollow cylindrical member adapted to be engaged by a secondtarget carrier to retract and project said movable detent.

14. The combination with a target support including a hollow cylindricalblock having its hollow portion defined by circular walls of differentdiameters symmetrically arranged relative to each other, the internaldiameter of the ends being greater than the diameter of the centralportion whereby connecting walls are formed between each two adjacentcircular walls of a cable having one end attached to a moving body, acatch and release device mounted on the free end of said cablecomprising a hollow cylindrical member, means for securing said memberto said cable, a movable detent adapted to be projected through the wallof said member, and to be engaged by the wall between two adjacentcircular walls of the hollow support, means to project and retract saidmovable detentcomprising a. lever Within the hollow cylindrical memberpivoted thereto, cam surfaces on saidlever projecting through openingsin said hollow cylindrical member adapted to be engaged by a secondtarget carrier to retract and project said movable detent, saidcamsurfaces being located on opposite sides of the pivot of said lever.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

WILLIAM ANTHONY LAMKEY.

